Caretaker PM Yingluck occupies Defence HQ as office despite intimidation

[webfact]

Caretaker PM occupies Defence HQ as office despite intimidation
By Digital Content



BANGKOK, Feb 4 - A protesters' blockade at the Defence office yesterday did not deter caretaker Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra who insisted on using it as her temporary office and going to work there as usual today.

Protesters of the People's Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC) yesterday rallied at the Office of the Defence Permanent Secretary in an attempt to chase Ms Yingluck out of the building.

The protesters withdrew later in the day after being told that the prime minister had left. Ms Yingluck, however, remained in the building with several Cabinet members until 6 pm.

She said she will go back to work at the Defence office today but the weekly Cabinet meeting is cancelled.

"The Defence office is the place for me to work. It's not the headquarters of the Centre for Maintaining Peace and Order (CMPO)," she said.

CMPO, under the directorship of caretaker Labour Minister Chalerm Yubamrung, was once located in the Defence office. It was later moved out after a seizure by PDRC protesters.

Caretaker Deputy Prime Minister Surapong Tovichakchaikul, concurrently CMPO chief adviser, stood firm that the prime minister and Cabinet members will not move elsewhere.

"Protesters who seized the headquarters will be legally dealt with in accord with international standards. Police will be in charge of taking action against them. We have warned protesters that they would be arrested if they occupied the Defence office again," he said.

The caretaker Cabinet has deserted Government House for more than a month after the surrounding areas have been occupied by protesters of the Network of Students and People for Reform of Thailand.

"We won't tolerate the protesters' intimidation any more. We will exercise stricter measures against the protesters who are no longer demonstrating peacefully as claimed," he said.

Meanwhile, Phra Buddha Issara who has led the seizure of Government Complex on Chaeng Wattana Road since last month agreed to allow Justice Ministry officials to enter their office today.

He said protesters will permit the reopening of more government buildings except for the Department of Special Investigation.

The Buddhist monk said the rally stage on Chaeng Wattana Road would not be removed and he would, from now on, concentrate more on negotiations with the authorities. (MCOT online news)

-- TNA 2014-02-04

[mightyatom]

The protesters withdrew later in the day after being told that the prime minister had left. Ms Yingluck, however, remained in the building with several Cabinet members until 6 pm.

Well I suppose the next time they spin that line, it isn't going to work on the protesters and things will likely become heated in which case the PM will deffo run for cover.

[Jack Mountain]

Those protesters, don't they have to work? or is it their work?

[pedro01]

How long does she get to be caretaker for?

[spirit47]

Those protesters, don't they have to work? or is it their work?

She say, she will back to work...What she work?

[Suriya4]

Protesters/Suthep should go close all Passport issuing offices in Bangkok, to stop Yingluck from applying for a passport, to be used to escape.

[DocN]

Protesters/Suthep should go close all Passport issuing offices in Bangkok, to stop Yingluck from applying for a passport, to be used to escape.

Oh, I see: you had a clown for breakfast...

[Why ask]

How long does she get to be caretaker for?

As long as she keeps cleaning the toilet well!

[korb]

Her job very simple. Anything wrong just smile and said i came from election.

[Scamper]

The Yingluck administration seems no longer to have a permanent address, as they are being jostled from one location to the next. And not occupying Government House for over a month simply underscores the image of an administration that now has no parliamentary power.

Edited February 4, 2014 by Scamper

[thaipod]

She has been hiding in the Air Force base as her office as they are the only section in the military to accept her.Mind you she can't be that hard for the protesters to find, Just ask Chalerm.

Edited February 4, 2014 by thaipod

[Makhseeda]

Pot cannot tell kettle his bum is black. Those who protest against corruption should be clean of corruption themselves

Cannot occupy state lands and stake claims to it. Should not avoid taxes from money earn on your businesses.

Cannot run red traffic lights like you are the only user of the road.

Do not buy cars and claim its your first purchase to gain 100k Baht from the government when its your second third fourth car

Wear helmets when riding a motorbike and use seatbelts when driving

Should not ride motorbikes opposite to the traffic to avoid going to the U turns

Should stand in line and wait your turn for services at government offices

These are some of the things we can all do if we are serious about making a corrupt free Thailand

Living in a lawless society leads to anarchy

Edited February 4, 2014 by Makhseeda

[thaimonkey]

"He said protesters will permit the reopening of more government buildings except for the Department of Special Investigation."

This is clearly anarchy isn't it. These are a bunch of hooligans acting like they are the authority, deciding who to live and who(when) to kill, as they have already been doing - either literally or killing the livelihood of countless Bangkokians! Yet these f**king bastards claim to repreent the majority and insist on installing the croonies of their mafia-head in the so-called "people's council" - I call this the BIGGEST insult to democracy and Abitshit(shld chnage to AlotShit) and his terrorists DEMONcrats gang are the BIGGEST joke(not even funny) of this millenia.

What peaceful protest!? What reform?! What democracy?! when these same hooligans who cry wolf and call reform in name of democracy are impeding the democratic progress of an election, and FORCEFULLY robbing others of their RIGHTS to vote and wilfully, intentionally with malice, destroying properties and lives of all who disagree with them! How many businesses and families have Shoottep and his gangsters destroyed??!! Excluding the official 90++ lives he and Abitshit killed in 2008??!!

Maybe the Cambodians shld really send in their commandos - to silent those rebel-rousers and shoot Suthep to fulfill his allegations of the "Cambodian element".

As long as the demoncrats are not in pwr, as long as Alotshit & Shoottep are not sitting at the helm, they will keep protesting and disrupting the legitimate gvnt.

If they REALLY want reform, the 1st thing they shld do is stop this garbage protest, allow the proper functioning of the incumbent to alleviate existing problems instead of capitalising on it tomake BIGGER PROBLEMS. They shld DECLARE ALL THEIR WEALTH and let the public SCRUTINIZE whether their wealth is inline with their pays for a start. Until then, just shut their big gaps.

[Makhseeda]

Having to attend an appointment at one of the foreign Embassies on Monday 3rd Feb put me smack in the middle of Sunday's protest (or should I say free concert and fashion show)

Seems a lot of people used the opportunity to get some FB photos decked off in their Sunday best adorned by the red white and blue. Gender challenged folks as well were all out in their glee and seems as hardly anyone was really concern with any protest action or cause for all of this in the first place.

Law abiding citizens can challenge any establishment by seeking to become the establishment themselves but by lawful means

Was any plans put forward to the people as to how will this so call peoples council will come into power and what will transpire after it does if it does

Is there a 100 points or a 6 months plan as soon as this happens

How can reform take place with a non elected people's council. Who is going to appont this council and how can it be legitimate

Please there are many questions about this people's council but no one has answers

Yes corruption is never good for any country and its people because it sucks the blood away from the people and their children's future

So please all you so call educated people can you put forward plans as to how all of this will work and get it over with

My simply uneducated guess to solve it is to face the polls and spend money to campaign like any democratic society does and use the technology

not only for FB but to spread your manifesto to every voter (educated and uneducated because everyone has a right to choose, not a special elite few )

People should not look down on people who had less opportunities to attend colleges and universities

All peoples were created equal

Treat them like that